


Lost and Found

by EnchantedbookLover18



Series: Ellick One Shots (tumblr) [5]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Original Character(s), slight angst with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:54:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25126582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnchantedbookLover18/pseuds/EnchantedbookLover18
Summary: Tumblr prompts: "Where have you been?!" & "You could have at least left a note. We were worried about you."
Relationships: Ellie Bishop & Nick Torres, Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Series: Ellick One Shots (tumblr) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820113
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> Another anon request that I already posted on tumblr a few months ago!

She walked through the wooden double door, immediately feeling at ease. The smell of paper, dust and hundreds of stories untold reaching her nose. The public library always felt like a second home. Reaching her favourite aisle – children’s fantasy and story books – the girl pulled the book she wanted to borrow out of the shelve and sat down in the blue beanbag. Thinking she’d have enough time to read a few pages before she was supposed to be at home, she began to read of mythical worlds – magical closets, talking lions, princes and princesses…

💜💜

“Babe, I’m home!” Nick called out as he closed the front door behind him, hanging his keys up on the keyboard and taking his thin jacket off. “I bought your favourite wine and ice cream for dessert – Sofia’s favourite!”

“Over here, in the kitchen,” Ellie’s voice was muffled.

Nick walked up behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her and placing a soft kiss on her cheek, “Hi.”

Sighing in content, Ellie whispered back, “Hi. Welcome home, honey.”

“What’re you cooking?” he asked, taking a look around where all kinds of ingredients – lettuce leaves, corn, tomatoes, sweet pepper – were spread out on the kitchen counter. Apparently, she was frying mincemeat in the pan and boiling up some deliciously smelling sauce on the stove plate.

“Self-made burritos,” the blonde agent replied as she took a look into the heated oven, “the tortillas are almost done.”

“Where’s Sofia?” Nick asked while he grabbed three plates and cutlery out of the kitchen cabinet and placed them on the dining table – kitchen and dining room where designed in an open, friendly concept.

Ellie looked up at the clock above the door, frowning,” Hm. She should’ve been here ten minutes ago…”

“Don’t worry, babe, I’m sure she’ll be here any minute now.”

“Sure. You’re probably right. It’s just – I don’t know,” she sighed, worry slowly creeping through her thoughts.

“Sofia will be fine, Ellie. It’s only a fifteen minutes walk from Morgan’s to ours. And it’s still light outside,” Nick said, placing a hand on Ellie’s shoulder. Despite comforting and trying to calm his wife down, he could feel the dread and concern cursing through his veins too. Their job and the few missing child cases they’d had over the last couple of years took a heavy toll on him. On both of them.

Ellie and Nick had only agreed to let their eleven-year-old daughter Sofia walk home on her own from Morgan McGee’s house because the sun stayed up longer during summer and it was only a rather short walk. Besides, they lived in a really quiet and friendly neighbourhood and knew practically all of their neighbours in the area by name.

“Breathe, El,” Nick rubbed her back soothingly, whispering soft and calmingly in her ear, “it’ll be alright.”

She nodded with tears burning in her eyes. She knew it was dumb. Their daughter was old enough, it wasn’t even long after 7pm (their agreed curfew) and the sun hadn’t even set yet. Ellie was probably just being overprotective but after what had happened to Leah Parker, one of their cases, three months ago –

“No, Ellie, please. Don’t even go there,” her husband said, shaking his head vehemently, as if he could read her mind.

“I know. I know. I just –” A few tears escaped her eyelids.

“You know what? I’m gonna call McGee and then I’ll walk Sofia’s usual way back until I find her, okay?” Nick handed her a tissue, still rubbing her back as he reached for the cell phone.

“Hi, McGee? Yeah, it’s Nick. Good, good. Um, McGee? Is Sofia still with you?” Nick cut his friend’s attempts at making conversation off.

Ellie’s eyes never left him. The blonde held her breath in anticipation of the answer McGee gave on the other end of the line.

“No? Oh,” Nick shock his head at Ellie when Tim answered his question negatively. “Listen. She’s not home yet. We’re getting a little worried – Sofia should’ve been here at 7. I’ll go look for her. Call me or Ellie if you hear something, alright?”

After waiting for Tim McGee’s response, Nick hang up the phone, pulling Ellie close to his chest, hugging her tightly.

“Shush,” he murmured as he saw Ellie’s silent crying. “I’ll go. Stay here in case she gets back in the meantime, okay?”

Ellie nodded, a wave of fear and concern washing over her, “Find her, Nick. Bring her home.”

“I will. I’m sure it’s alright. She’s only thirty minutes late so far – maybe she met Victoria on her way again. These girls always talk for ages.”

Nick grabbed his keys and walked out of the door, leaving Ellie behind. She stood in the middle of the kitchen, wiping the wet strain of tears on her cheeks away and turning the oven and stove off so the food wouldn’t cause their house to burn down.

Ellie still stood behind the kitchen counter, taking deep breaths, five minutes later – after calling the Palmer’s who hadn’t seen Sofia – when the front door opened.  
Sofia walked in behind her father, a sheepish, rueful expression on her face.

When the girl saw Ellie, she run towards her, throwing herself in her mother’s arms. “I’m so sorry, mama. I’m so-so sorry,” she said over and over again.

Ellie held her in a tight embrace for several minutes before she finally let go, only to look at her in concern – and anger, now that she knew Sofia was safe.

“Are you okay?” Ellie looked her up and down, searching for any visible and invisible injuries.

“Yes, I’m fine, mum. I’m sorry,” Sofia said, tears rolling down her face, “I never meant to worry you and daddy.”

**“Where have you been, Sofia??”** The mother asked, trying to conceal her anger.

“At the library,” Nick, who stood next to his wife and daughter, chimed in.

“I left Morgan and Johnny a little earlier to borrow a book at the public library. It’s right around the corner and…I thought…I’m sorry, mama,” Sofia sobbed loudly, throwing herself in her mother’s arms again. “I lost track of time. I thought I could read one page – just one – but –”

“Don’t cry baby girl,” Nick uttered under his breath as he put his arms around his family, “You’re safe and you’re home. That’s the important part now.”

The three stood in the middle of the kitchen, hugging each other tightly for a while, before Nick spoke again. **“Sofia, you know you could have at least left a note. We were worried about you.”**

“I know and I’m so sorry. I’ll do anything you want me to – wash the dishes for weeks or you could ground me?” Sofia whispered, her voice full of regret and desperation. All she wanted was that her parents forgave her this terrible mistake.

“It’s okay. Just promise me, baby girl,” Ellie said, crouching down in front of her, “Promise me to leave a note at the McGee’s or everywhere else, saying where you’re going, so they know – and we know. Tell us where you’re going, Sofia. Or even better, don’t go anywhere else without talking to us first, okay?”

“I promise,” the girl said apologetically while Ellie placed a kiss on Sofia’s forehead.

Nick and Ellie were glad to have their daughter home safely. The family spent the rest of the evening in joyful laughter and with delicious food, trying to wash the shock away with boardgames and ice cream. When the couple went to bed that night, Nick would laugh a little, remembering his wife’s own story about getting lost in the library as a child.


End file.
